MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008

COMING TUESDAY

THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN ROUNDUP

The "Big Man" mentioned in Kids' WB!'s The Spectacular Spider-Man will not be Kingpin. Supervising producer Greg Weisman confirmed that the character is not in the series.

"I'll admit, it's frankly the one hole in our series, the one thing that I think prevents it from being truly 100 percent along the lines of being definitive," Weisman told The Continuum.

"With Kingpin, it's a legal issue. It's got nothing to do with creative. Kingpin is part of the Daredevil license. We've been asking and will continue to ask. And I'm hopeful that someday, but we have not been able to get permission."

Kingpin was part of the MTV Spider-Man series, voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan, who played the character in the Daredevil movie.

"And I'm jealous," Weisman said, adding that Kingpin was in his early plans for the show.

Weisman said he also had hopes of including the Human Torch, but ran into similar licensing issues.

"I had a lot of plans for of characters to guest-star actually, although I wanted to make sure this was a show about Spider-Man and not a show about guest star of the week," he said. "So we were going to have one guest-star, the Human Torch, in Season 1 and one guest star in Season 2. We didn't want to make it about guest-stars, but the truth is, yes, we're not allowed to use any of those characters."

Weisman noted that because Spider-Man has such a rich base of supporting characters and villains, he doesn't think anyone will miss a Torch appearance. "The Kingpin was a bit of a tragedy, though," he said.

In other Spider-Man news:

* "Invisible Hand," the next new episode, will air Saturday on Kids' WB!. It includes Rhino and more drama surrounding the Fall Formal.

* Weisman on his approach to villains: "We're taking classic villains and introducing them in a
logical fashion -- one that brings cohesion and clarity to their introduction and development, particularly as we revisit these villains through multiple
appearances."

* Look for more on the series soon here in The Continuum.

JIM MOONEY: 1919-2008

According to Mark Evanier's blog, Jim Mooney, one of comics' prolific artists, has died.

Mooney -- perhaps best known for his Supergirl art in the 1960s and Spider-Man in the 1970s -- died Sunday in Florida after recent failing health. He was 88.

Click on the thumbnails for larger images and look for more on Battlestar Galactica soon here in The Continuum.

FIRST LOOKS

For covers and five- to six-page previews of upcoming titles, CLICK HERE.

Titles include The Boys #17, Project Superpowers #2, Highlander: Way of the Sword #4 and Zorro #2 from Dynamite Entertainment; Dock Walloper #3 and Snakewoman: Curse of the 68 #2 from Virgin Comics; Ayre Force Volume 1 from Bodog Entertainment; and X-Force #3 from Marvel Comics.

For 16 previews of Marvel Comics titles arriving in stores on April 2, CLICK HERE.

For seven previews of DC Comics titles arriving in stores on April 2, CLICK HERE.

ARCHIE COMICS' "FRESHMAN YEAR"

Archie Comics on Monday announced "Freshman Year," a five-part story that launches in Archie #587 in July.

Here's how Archie describes the story:

"Travel back in time with this five-issue tale that takes Archie and his friends back to their very first year in high school. It all starts with this poignant prologue which finds the gang wondering just what that first year will be like, while reflecting fondly on the past as well. Along the way, the gang must deal with the pending departure of one of their closest friends, as well as their bickering parents. And while the kids count the days until they enter their new school home, someone else is joining Riverdale High, too: Principal Waldo Weatherbee! All this, plus allusions to Captain Pureheart, The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Veronica's worldwide travels, and more!"

BRIEFLY

* Marvel Comics on Monday morning released another Secret Invasion teaser image. This one was accompanied by the tagline: "Whether he's dead or missing, Secret Invasion will make Black Bolt's family truly Inhuman!"

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

* 20th Century Fox has provided The Continuum a look at its new poster for the as-yet-untitled X-Files movie.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

* The Sunday, April 20 episode of Fox's Family Guy will be a repeat of "Play it Again, Brian."

COMICS CONTINUUM BACK ISSUES

In case you missed The Continuum's coverage over the past month, here are some links. Click on the date to get the day's full report.